Aftermath
by moonstoneacajou
Summary: Deals with the end of the War against Zeref and Acnologia. Natsu and the other dragon slayers are badly hurt from the fight and their break from the ravines of time. It centers around Lucy nursing Natsu back to health and reflecting on the feelings she has for him. About time for some Nalu! Btw, for the sake of it, we assume Lucy and Natsu are in Magnolia at the end of the fight.
1. To the rescue

Looking for him, she crawled to where she last saw him standing.

She found his bloodied and bruised body sprawled on his stomach.

His hands were in an awkward position

His legs were covered by two large rocks...

"Natsu! Can you hear me? Please answer me", called Lucy, patting his cheek. Seeing as he was not responding, she panicked. "Somebody please HELP! Gray! Erza! Anybody around?"

The only response she got was Natsu's eyes moving in an attempt to open, only for his face to morph in an expression of pain. Distressed because of the pain he was in, she started to push wildly the rocks trapping him in.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!

She was hesitating whether or not to leave him to look for somebody to help. Looking frantically in her surroundings, she got up with a final painful push, and sought the wall of the bakery to her right for support. Limping her way around, she screamed her lungs out hoping someone will hear her calls. All the other dragon slayers have probably landed in other random places, she thought. _Who will find them?_

She thanked her lucky stay when Elfman and Lisanna appeared, from a distance, just as battered as she was. She wasn't sure they heard her, so she waved with her hands, screaming even more.

"ELFMAN! LISANNA! HELP!"

To her relief, they answered her calls, and she heard a faint "Coming Lucy!"

In a hurry to check up on Natsu again, she half-ran, limped and crawled to his side again, anxious to hear him breathe. Thanking her lucky star again, she found him half-awake whispering her name.

"It's me Lucy. Don't tire yourself out, Elfman and Lisanna are coming to help."

"Di ..d we win?", he managed to groan, his face scrunched in pain.

"Yes Natsu, you were amazing. Please …" whatever she was going to plead with him died down her throat when his pained expression became peaceful. Half-scared he was dead, half-relieved he was no longer in pain, she went to look for the pulse in his hands. The minute it took her to find it threatened to submerge her in darkness, as she started seeing dark spots clouding her vision by the time she felt his faint heartbeat.

"Please hurry up!", she said turning around to see if her friends were close, she was pleasantly surprised to find them only a few feet away.

"Is he alright?" asked Lisanna with concern etched along her features.

"He just passed out. He is in very bad shape. Let's try to get these rocks off" replied Elfman.

"Yeah thank you" breathed Lucy.

It took all of their efforts to push the first rock to reveal a half bloodied leg. If the adrenaline wasn't coursing through Lucy's veins and giving her a boost, she would have passed out from the sight. Fortunately, Elfman handled lifting the second rock and all that was left was to carry Natsu to the guild.

"Please, Elfman, carry him carefully" whispered Lucy. She felt numb at the sight of the full damage that Natsu has taken. He was no stranger to injuries and bruises, but never had she seen him this beaten up. There was no spot on his back that was scratch-free, and upon revealing his yellow and blue torso, she thought that no way some of his ribs weren't broken. Limping after Elfman and Lisanna, she prayed for his recovery and the safety of all the guild members. Where was Erza? Gray? Levy? Juvia? Little Wendy?

The guild was only a few turns away, and she was relieved to find Madame Porlyusica preparing a bed and asking the new arrivals which of them needed her care the most. Lucy did not remember what happened after Natsu's body was laid in the nearest bed and Porlyusica's careful hands started examining him.

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She woke up with a start in a room she didn't know and in a bed that wasn't hers. It was clearly night and no sound made it to her ears aside from the singing of the night bugs. Upon remembering the events of defeating Acnologia, she started feeling the aches in her body: Her ribs hurt with every breathe, and her legs were burning in multiple places. The peaceful atmosphere made her relax and feel serene, but it did not take away the desire to make sure all her friends were alright, and above all see how Natsu was doing.

Having adjusted to the dim light of the moon that was filtering from the window, she braced herself for the pain and got off the bed to move around the infirmary to see her guild mates. Next to her was Elfman and across from her was Jellal. To Jellal's right was Erza, and to his left Wendy, Gajeel and Laxus in the beds next to her. They all looked in pain, either one of their arms or legs bandaged in layers. Right next to the door, opposite from Gajeel was Natsu, his spikey hair looking dark-pink in the moonlight.

Carrying herself to his side, she couldn't help the lump that formed in her throat at the sight of him. Both his arms were bandaged and she could tell even with the dim light that his legs were thickly bandaged with blood leaking all over the bandage, from his cuts. His face was breaking in sweat, which she tried to dry with the palm of her hand but only ended up burning herself in the process. His temperature was abnormally high. In a hurry, she found her way outside the infirmary, and started whispering Madame Porlyusica's name repeatedly. She did not want to get too far from the infirmary because she knew the healer had to be close by. Confirming her guess, she responded to her calls soon enough.

"What are you doing outside of bed at this hour Lucy?"

"I wanted to see if everyone was okay", she hurried saying. "Madame Porlyusica, Natsu is having an abnormal fever. He's burning up. Please come to see!" She felt on the verge of tears again, but swallowed the lump in her throat. Natsu's was going to be okay, she thought repeatedly.

Anxious, she hovered around Madame Porlyusica, while she gave Natsu and injection, and volunteered to dry the sweat from the parts of his body that were not bandaged, using a cloth. She handled his body with care, scared to hurt him further.

"Lucy, if you are not going to rest, it's best you take this pill to lessen the pain." Indeed, it was becoming increasingly hard for her to breathe and to stay up on her legs, so she took it gratefully. She did not feel like leaving Natsu any time soon.

After handing her a chair to sit on by Natsu's bed, Madame Porlyusica left the room. The stars were still shining brightly in the sky, making Lucy resent them for not caring about her friends' lives having been in mortal danger mere hours ago. Forcing her anxiety to calm down, she repeatedly thought that Natsu was going to heal and that the guild was going to be fixed again. Examining Natsu's face, she was relieved to notice that he was not sweating anymore. Desiring to feel his normal temperature again, she brushed the back of her hand on his forehead, and was happy to find it warm.

She stayed there examining every inch of Natsu's face, ignoring her body's call for sleep, ready to call Porlyusica at any complication. Her heart ached and every passing moment made it harder to hold onto the tears. She was scared for her friend. She wanted him to open his eyes again, to smile, and for everything to be okay with the world again. She did not want to see the blood staining his bandages, she did not want to see his still form. _Natsu was never this still in his sleep._

In an attempt to comfort herself, she put her head on his pillow, her forehead right next to his jaw, and started running her hand through his hair. Despite the smell of the ointments covering most of his body, she was still able to smell his usual perfume, which relaxed her. Hearing him exhale and inhale calmed her as well. Had she not been scared of something coming up or Natsu's fever rising again, she would have gladly let sleep overtake her right then and there.

She stayed up next to him, breathing at the same pace as him till the sky turned to a light blue, and since it was almost time for things to start getting busy around the infirmary, she felt safe leaving Natsu's side and going back to sleep for a few hours. When she could no longer keep her eyes open, she stood up, not without pain, and let her hand run across Natsu's cheek for a moment, feeling his temperature one last time. That's when she saw his right hand's fingers intertwined with Lisanna's, who was occupying the bed right next to him. The sight made her freeze, while her heart started beating erratically inside her chest. She felt the overwhelming urge to run up to their hands to pull them apart. Why was Natsu's hand in Lisanna's, she thought. She could have been staring at their hands for an hour or just mere seconds when she felt someone shuffling in one of the debs. She couldn't move past what she saw.

"Lucy, how is Natsu doing?" It was Erza who broke her trance.

"He is still sleeping", she managed to mutter before limping to her bed in a daze.

"You don't look too good Lucy"

"I will be fine" she replied with a forced smile "Don't worry. Erza don't push yourself too hard okay? Wait for Madame Porlyusica"

"Of course"

She laid in her bed, ignoring all the aches and burns, and looked up at the ceiling, losing herself in turbulent thoughts. A fear, deep within her being, was preventing her heart from going back to its normal pace; it was also making her breathing come in raged as if she had been running on full speed. _I am afraid_ , she thought. There was no use denying that Natsu has become the most important person in her life. She admires him and cares for him and would do anything for him. She loves spending time with him, hearing him talk, and was going to break every single time he passed out because of the tumor, but she never thought about love. She never had the luxury to think about Love...

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 **This is it for now, n** **ext chapters will come soon.**

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	2. Ai

**Arigatou minna, for reading, following, and favoriting!**

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Love was a very curious thing…

Of course I am in love with him, thought Lucy, before drifting to sleep. However, no rest came of it, it only threw her in the midst of confusing dreams where Lisanna was either killing Natsu, getting married to him or giving birth to Happy. Needless to say she woke up tired with a single image in the forefront of her mind: Natsu and Lisanna's intertwined fingers. She felt a pang in her chest at the memory, reminding her of her, now, clear romantic feelings for her cherry blossom haired friend.

Enduring the stabs of pain in her ribs, and the burn in her legs, she left her bed, curious to see if Natsu's hand was still in Lisanna's. I am no masochist, she thought, but I need to know. She limped to his side, and let a sigh of relief leave her mouth when she found the bed next to him empty.

It was late afternoon, and the Infirmary was quiet, because everyone was still passed out, but a few more beds were empty: Jellal's, Erza's, Elfman's, and Gajeel's too.

She claimed her seat next to Natsu, and pushed her palm against his smooth forehead to gauge his temperature. To Lucy's relief, he was just as warm as usual, which brought a small smile to her face. She let her eyes roam over his body, taking notes of how his bandages have been changed, because they weren't covered in red marks anymore, and how his breathing was drawn out, looking labored as if expending his lungs was requiring effort. With trembling hands, she reached out to hold his hand, hoping it would lend him her strength.

Touching him was relieving the pain in her chest and making her feel connected to him on some level. It made the deep ache of seeing him unnaturally still more bearable. It told her that he was still there next to her and alive. She stayed like that for a few minutes, hunching her head over his arm, praying for his speedy recovery. She missed him.

"Hey Lucy, how are you feeling?" Came Lisanna's voice, startling her. She didn't notice when the transfiguration mage came through the door.

"Good, you?" She asked politely with a smile that she knew couldn't reach her eyes.

"Am all healed up! If you are hungry, Mira has prepared dinner for everyone."

"No it's fine thank you", she declined and turned around to hold Natsu's hand tighter.

"I know you are worried about Natsu, but you need to heal quickly as well"

Lucy felt very hungry, but leaving Lisanna with Natsu did not sit well with her. Her insides were doing painful flips at the mere thought.

"I want to stay with Natsu."

Lucy wanted Lisanna to understand that Natsu was important to her, and that she was going to fight to stay by his side.

"He is strong he will recover", tried to sooth her Lisanna.

"Yeah"

They stayed there in silence, both girls occupying a chair on either side of the bed, till Madame Porlyusica came in to check on her patients. She gave Lucy another pill, and chased her out of the room to get something to eat.

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?", asked Lucy, her hand on the door knob.

"His wrists were fractured from the fall, so am injecting him to keep him out and to accelerate his healing. That's not even talking about the multiple greenstick fractures along his arms and the swellings in his legs."

"When will he wake up?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"In a few more days. Don't worry, Lucy. It's better this way. He'll be in too much pain if he wakes up earlier."

Swallowing thickly, she left the infirmary for the guild hall where almost everyone was hanging out. Although sad for leaving Lisanna with Natsu, she felt her heart soar at the sight of her recovering friends talking like old times. She spotted Gray and Juvia holding hands and sharing a table with Levy who was practically sitting on Gajeel's lap. They were all in the middle of having an animated dinner.

"Hey Lu-chan!", waved Levy. Lucy waved back with equal enthusiasm despite the pain from the gesture.

"Hey guys, I am happy you are alright!", she greeted when she made it to their table. "… and realized what's important in life" she added with a wink directed towards Gray.

"Gray-sama committed suicide for Juvia", she sobbed burying her face in Gray's neck, who cringed but still patted her shoulder.

"WHAT?" screamed Lucy.

"We went through this Juvia", Gray half groaned, but his voice still held a disarming warmth that surprised Lucy. "You did as well", he added in a resigned breath.

"WHAT! How are you not in the infirmary? Both of you!"

"She healed me" replied Gray, pointing to Juvia.

"Why are you letting her out of the infirmary then?"

"I couldn't hold her down". Gray had the decency to look sheepish while saying it, thought Lucy.

"Wendy healed me" clarified Juvia.

"Thank god we are all alive and together", said Levy in a trembling voice, pushing herself closer to Gajeel than she already was.

"Yeah, so let's celebrate it", replied Lucy in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her eyes were starting to water at the thought of the pain everyone went through.

"Yeah" they hollered in unison.

"Hey Lucy, welcome back. You need dinner right?" said Mirajane who had joined them at the sound of their happy cheer.

"Yeah thank you Mira. How are you holding up?"

"Bruises here and there, it's Natsu who has it bad. Poor child."

"Yeah I can't wait for everyone to recover" replied Levy.

"That flame brain had really done it this time. His whole limbs are in disarray!" spat Gray.

"He will recover in a matter of days, I asked Madame Porlyusica" informed them Lucy cheerfully.

"I am just so thankful we are done with Acnologia and Zeref" said Mirajane

"Yeah, Juvia is finally looking forward to a vacation with Gray-sama!" Gray's blush at the declaration did not go unnoticed by Lucy, which made her want to tease him a little.

"Yeah Gray, and you better use that time to apologize to her properly!"

"Am happy for you Gray", beamed Mirajane. "Finally deciding to settle down"

"Will you stop it, you freaks?" he stomped before grabbing Juvia by her wrist and dragging her with him outside.

They all stared back at him in amusement, but Lucy knew that everyone was happy for him just as equally. While she ate, she couldn't help by feel lonely without Natsu. Moreover, every minute that passed in which Lisanna did not come back to the bar to help her sister, was filling her with dread, and increasing the overwhelming desire she was having to join Natsu.

The food started to get stuck in her throat the more time passed, so she excused herself as soon as she was done. She felt weak for giving into anxiety, but was determined to follow her heart and accept her feelings for what they were. Possessiveness. Fear. Jealousy. Love.

Much to her chagrin, she found Lisanna sitting by Natsu's bed and playing with his fingers. With the feeling of a knife stabbing her in the heart, she stepped forward. Lisanna looked up at the sound of her feet, and gave her a warm smile while removing her hand from Natsu's. Lucy's eyes didn't move from where Lisanna's hands had previously been, though.

Lisanna stayed all this time looking over Natsu, she thought. Her stomach did a few flips as a result, bringing her close to throwing up her dinner. She did not feel confident enough in her voice to speak to Lisanna, so she stayed silent. She also wanted to touch Natsu's forehead to check his temperature, but didn't trust her hands not to tremble, so she just sat there observing the rise and fall of his chest that looked just as labored as before.

"I will go home with Mira and Elfman in an hour. Do you need me to bring you something with me tomorrow?" asked her Lisanna kindly, after a moment.

"No, thank you Lisanna."

Lucy was really trying to ignore the fright she was feeling, but with no avail, because she knew the beauty used to be very close with Natsu. She even recalled him mumbling her name once, in his sleep. Her chest was hurting from the effort invested in containing her frenetically beating heart in place, and her only consolation was the prospect of looking into Natsu's eyes again, talking to him like they used to, and finally feeling at ease with the reassurance that he will always be her close friend, that he will always be her teammate no matter what. That Lisanna won't take him away from her.

"Lucy!" startled her Happy, who was flying towards her at full speed from the door of the infirmary.

"Hey happy" she greeted, hugging him to her chest with tears clouding her sight. "Where have you been?"

"I was looking for your keys with Charle. Here you go", he cried handing her back her treasure. She felt the stab of guilt overwhelming her; she couldn't believe that she forgot about her friends.

"Natsu is still sleeping. Why?"

"He needs a few days", replied Lisanna. "Don't worry Happy, he will wake up and be his usual self in no time"

"I can't wait" he mumbled, cuddled up in Lucy's chest. "You too Lucy, don't worry. Your heart shouldn't be beating this fast!"

Seeing Happy made Lucy's chest relax slightly, like some of the pressing weight came off of it. Happy was like an extension of Natsu, so having him keep her company and share her worries had her drawing in breaths a little easier.

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	3. Late night breeze

**Hope you like :D**

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Madame Porlyusica had cleared Lucy to go by the second day, under the condition that she would come when it was time to change her bandages. She was happy to find her building in its original size again, and enjoyed the familiar surroundings of her room, but it didn't feel right with Natsu and Happy not barging in. Natsu was still out cold, and Happy was staying with Charle and Wendy. It reminded her of when she was alone in Crocus…

It has already been five days since she last saw her fiery friend move or make a sound. The deafening anxiety that has been taking hold of her chest didn't lessen, on the contrary, it became more unmanageable with time. It was curious how it would prevent her from going to sleep every night, by making her breaths come in short and insufficient.

There would be no relief for her until Natsu wakes up. There would be no peace in her sleep until her friend is well enough to come and invade her space like he always did. He would surely bring with him the breeze she needed to fill her chest with air.

Adding to her anxiety were the daily visits of Lisanna. Lucy knew she had no right to want her gone. She was Natsu's friend just as much as she was herself, but her heart ached, more than any wound on her body did, at the thought of the blond mage and Natsu living together and being a family… Loving each other.

The days went by, and the intervals between her smiles stretched out further away by each passing day. Slumping on the chair next to Natsu's bed has become her full time job, but Happy would keep her company most of the day. However, one of the most atrocious tasks she has had to endure was observing Porlyusica change Natsu's bandages, because the sight of every cut, every bruise, and every swelling pinched her heart painfully.

The stress of it all had her with barely any energy left; she just needed Natsu to open his eyes. To her relied, it happened in the middle of the fifth night. That night she had passed out asleep by his bed, when a slight shift in the pillow she was sharing with him woke her up. She raised her head at once to look at him, but his face looked just as it did the last few days. However, her eyes didn't leave his moonlit face; sure that the pillow has shifted a minute ago and anticipating that he was coming out of his induced sleep.

"Natsu … I really hope you are waking up…. I miss you" she whispered letting her hand run along the side of his face.

Giving up after a while, she lowered her head back on the pillow and reached across his chest with her arm, to let her palm rest against his cheek. She needed the comfort of his skin and smell. That's when she noticed the change in his breathing; it was less drawn out. The next thing she registered was another shift on the pillow and a nose brushing against her hairline, followed by the hot exhaled air tickling the little hairs above her ear.

"Lu … cy." Her heart skipped when she heard the rasp whisper. She straightened up right away.

"Yeah it's me", she rushed to whisper back.

He didn't open his eyes, but she heard him say her name and mutter a couple more times, like he usually did in his sleep, before losing to unconsciousness. Her chest was already filling up with air, as a result of her lungs stretching out to the max. _I am going to be able to see his eyes soon..._

The next morning, it was dry lips pressing against her forehead that rose her from sleep. When she opened her eyes up, hooded onyx ones were looking right back at her. Her gut lit ablaze with excitement!

Natsu was looking at her with slightly crossed eyes, which made her giggle for the first time in a week.

"You are awake!" she squealed. "You really are!" she confirmed with glee, brushing his hair back from his eyes in a tender gesture.

"Was I sleeping for that long?" he replied in hoarse whisper.

"A week, yeah" She did not realize she was crying till she felt a tickling in her cheeks, but she brushed it off and smiled even wider.

"WHAT? FOR Real?" he shouted with a raspy voice, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and groan in pain.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah just sore ribs. Give me some water please."

"Don't try", warned Lucy, when she saw him wincing in an effort to lift his torso from the bed. "Here" she said supporting his head and putting the glass of water against his dry lips.

"Thank you" he said softly when she let him lay back. "Man, I never felt this wrecked in my life."

"You got that right", she said before taking back her seat.

"I can't believe I starved for a week!" he grumbled in a manner Lucy found cute.

"Don't insult me human! I took care of your physical needs for you!" came Porlyusica's reply from the door.

"Good morning Madame Porlyusica", greeted her Lucy. "He came out of it last night but didn't wake up till a few minutes ago."

"That's nice."

"Yeah", replied Lucy with a grin splitting her face.

"So you really spent the whole night in that chair?!" interjected Natsu with a shocked expression that was bordering on horrified.

"It wasn't intentional! I just fell asleep!" Lucy was determined not to get embarrassed.

"Just remember, in the future, that I didn't chase you away from my room" teased her Natsu.

"Yeah and you can also remember how I didn't take over your bed!"

"I wouldn't have minded!" declared Natsu, before blushing lightly. Lucy was not sure if it was there or not, but heat sure rose to her own face.

"Lucy maybe you can get him breakfast then, but let's help him get in a sitting position first." intervened Madame Porlyusica.

"It won't hurt him?"

"I know what am doing. Natsu, while we are helping you, don't push on your wrists, you will ruin a week's worth of healing!"

As instructed, Natsu hung on Lucy's and Porlyusica's shoulders, one on either side, as he pushed himself up. Lucy didn't miss the pained face he was making, or the way he bit his lower lip till it turned white. If she could, she would have given anything to take away some of his pain and to bear it with him. Feeling the tears coming, she busied herself with plopping a bunch of pillows behind his back.

"I am starting to believe you Lucy! It really feels like my body hasn't moved in ages."

"HAHAHA you are just starting to believe me?! Okay Natsu." Lucy was glad he made her laugh, because it stopped the tears, and she dried them quickly with the back of her hand.

"Can I eat now?"

"Okay so I will go get us some breakfast. I will be back in a minute!"

"Aye Sir!" he grinned. "Wait! where is Happy by the way?" he looked around the room as if to make sure he did not just overlook him.

"He will be dropping by soon!" Announced Lucy while turning her back to him and running in the direction of the door.

"Natsu, as you've noticed, moving your hands and putting weight on them is painful, but it won't be in a couple more days", was saying Porlyusica when Lucy came back with a large tray with too many plates for two people.

"With his wrists, maybe I should help him eat?" She asked looking in the direction of Porlyusica, who nodded.

"Lucy you are too slow" whined Natsu after a few bites.

"It's because I like my outfit, stupid! I don't want you staining it" She chastised him, fully aware of the smile that didn't want to leave her face. She was too happy to be sitting on his bed and feeding him.

"You're not going to eat?" he asked her, after a while.

"I will when you are done."

"Okay I am done."

"What?" Her voice rose little octaves under the surprise, but something else stopped her from expressing it further. His eyes held a warmth that set her insides ablaze, making her stop and swallow thickly.

"My stomach hurts already from all the food" he replied with a grin that reduced her sides to mush.

"Ok, I will call Madame Porlyusica for you." she suggested, worried, and immediately stood up to leave.

"I am not in pain Lucy" he called for her. "Just sit back down and have your breakfast."

With a nod, she retook her place on his bed, and started eating the pancakes she brought for herself. "you sure you don't want some?" she started tempting her friend, but he shook his head and went back to inspecting every inch of her face.

"what?" she asked when heat started rising to her cheeks.

"Are you injured?" Lucy was taken aback by the way his eyes seriously bore into hers with an intensity that sent her heart beating, and hands shaking.

"a few bruises here and there, why?" she replied, unsure.

"you just look really weak. You look like Lucy from the future did back in Crocus" he said with an apologetic gleam in his eyes.

"I've just been having some trouble sleeping" she tried to brush it off lightly

"is it because of me?" Concern was etched along Natsu's featured, making Lucy swallow hard. She was reminded of the days and nights laced with constant anxiety, worry and sadness.

"I've just been really worried" she said feeling the tears starting to cloud her vision. "It was scary", she half sobbed.

"Am sorry Luce", apologized Natsu as she covered her crying face in her hands.

"No it's fine. I am just relieved" she hiccupped.

"Come here", she heard him whisper and looked up to see him leaning forward and extending his arms towards her, almost touching her shoulders.

"what are you doing?" she asked, angry that he was putting himself in pain, and his healing in jeopardy.

"I want to give you a hug!" the declaration sent butterflies flying around in her stomach. Not wasting any time, she lunched forward, as much as the tray between them allowed, and rested her head on his chest. He closed his arms around her, and she did the same, squeezing a little in a silent gesture of appreciation. It caused him to hold his breath in pain, and her to apologize repeatedly for it. All the while, her emotions were wreaking havoc in her insides and thoughts _._

 _I love you._

She stayed still, inhaling his sent, feeling the rise and fall of his chest right against her cheek. His heart beat was making it to her ears, while her insides did all kinds of flips and turns. She didn't recall ever feeling like that before. It was a conflicting mix between the turmoil happening in her body and the peace and heavenly feeling brought to her by being wrapped, so lovingly, in the arms of the person she loves.

 _I_ _never want to leave._

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	4. Yearning

_**I'am so sorry for the long wait :(**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

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Lucy did not want to let go of Natsu. She liked feeling his muscles through the fabric of his shirt. Inhaling the scent of his flesh. Feeling his breath brush against her neck…

She wanted to crawl under his shirt and never leave again; mold the pace of her heart beat to his, and breathe with him as one. Losing control, she buried her noise deeper in his chest, but soon felt self-conscious about it. Heat started rising to her cheeks, so she loosened her grip on his back. To her relief, he didn't make any move to let go of her. In fact, his muscles had only tightened around her, but it didn't last long enough as he mumbled after a second or two, "man, I am feeling hungry again!"

"Typical Natsu", laughed Lucy while backing off to take a look at his expression. She was trying to figure out a way of thanking him for the hug without it being awkward, but he was looking at the food and ignoring her insistent gaze.

"A man has needs, Lucy" he had commented before she had the chance to word her thanks. Like that wasn't enough, her stomach growled loudly enough to make Natsu smirk and say, "So do you, apparently".

"With your appetite, I will end up having to hand you my breakfast anyway", Lucy teased in return. She had decided to follow Natsu's lead and not comment on the hug.

"Lucy, you shouldn't neglect your needs like that!" reprimanded her Natsu. His eyes held no trace of humor, surprisingly, which made Lucy's chest tighten for a beat, before expanding and doubling in size. It wasn't the first time she felt cared for by Natsu, but she couldn't help but feel more love and appreciation for the effort he was putting into expressing his concern for her.

"I wasn't serious, stupid", she managed to whisper, looking at anything but his eyes.

"Sure, it would be easier to carry you around, if you give me your food …." Natsu was starting to say with a shrug of his shoulders when Lucy pushed a huge strawberry through his parted lips.

"Don't go there Natsu! just don't", she mumbled while watching him chew. She didn't want him to say things that offend her, in fear that she would get defensive and hit him on reflex. He clearly was in no shape for violence just yet.

"Jusht shinking out loud" shrugged Natsu with full cheeks, before swallowing and warming her heart with a bright wide smile. "Messing around with you is so fun, Lucy", he grinned. A slight blush coated Natsu's cheeks, which made Lucy's stomach tighten even further with nerves.

 _'Could it be that I'm affecting him the same way he's affecting me? Or am I just imagining his blush?_ ' she thought as she forced herself to look away, deciding not to overthink everything and to enjoy her time with him.

After so many days of yearning, her relief that he was awake and talking was overwhelming. Their eyes would meet whenever she handed him a bite of his strawberry pancakes, and each time her heart would leap in her chest. She wanted to read his onyx eyes and understand what it was that's making them look soft. By the last bite, Natsu's behavior alarmed Lucy: he avoided her gaze and the color of his face gradually turned red.

Worried, she put her fork down and went to touch Natsu's forehead to assess his temperature. To her surprise he avoided her touch by backing away suddenly, and groaning in pain as a result.

"What's wrong?" Lucy inquired, ignoring the sting of Natsu's rejection. "Are you feeling any different? Light headed maybe?"

"Nothing to worry about" he rushed to answer with his eyes downcast on the tray. "You left a strawberry in your dish Lucy!"

"I don't want it", she brushed off his attempt at diverting her attention. "Natsu, you are feeling okay, right?" Natsu's face was still a bit flushed and Lucy's hand, suspended in midair, was itching to check his temperature.

"Yeah" he nodded and reluctantly looked up to meet Lucy's worried eyes. He looked unsettled which only reinforced the sick feeling in her stomach.

"Let me see if you have a fever ok?" she asked with a trembling voice. He nodded in return, and that was all she needed to lean forward and press her palm to his forehead. Lucy found herself only an inch away from Natsu's face, his breath tickling her cheek. She vaguely registered her heart beating wildly and her mind slowing down. She wet her lips as her body burned with each breath brushing against her skin, making her wish it was blowing on her lips instead. It took her a minute to gather her scattered thoughts and process Natsu's temperature. It turned out he didn't have a fever, but by then, Lucy was feeling flushed with embarrassment.

"You're… you don't have a fever. You … you're warm but it's … it's your normal temperature." she stuttered while backing away, each word coming out more hushed than the one preceding it.

Natsu's eyes didn't leave hers for a few heart beats, and the back of his bandaged fingers rose to brush her flushed cheek. Through a tight throat she managed to croak his name, which made him look down and wet his dry lips at the sight of her parted ones.

All too soon, the sound of an excited cheer came through the door, breaking their gaze and leaving Lucy's cheek feeling cold. The door was pushed open a second after, and Happy flied in at full speed. Lisanna looked to be in the middle of a jump, while Porlyusica just trailed in the back looking pissed.

"Natsuuuu! I missed you so much!" sobbed Happy in Natsu's neck.

"Oh there he is!" Squealed Lisanna, as she hurried to Natsu's side. "I am so relieved you are finally up Natsu!"

"Do not make too much noise!", ordered Porlyusica with her hands shaped in fists at her sides.

Lucy's heart squeezed painfully as she cleared the breakfast tray and put it on the nearby bed, on which she plopped, leaving Natsu's side. Lisanna settled next to her, while Happy stayed next to Natsu.

"You had your breakfast. Good! Now, I've got to inspect and change your bandages", said Porlyusica while taking off the covers off of him.

"And then he can leave?" Happy asked, looking up from Natsu's lap with a hopeful expression.

"He can leave when he no longer needs his hands bandaged", she replied, taking off the bandages covering the bruised and swollen skin on Natsu's right leg, making him scrunch his noise in pain.

"Where is Wendy when you need her?" mumbled Natsu with one eye squeezed tight.

"Hang in there Natsuu!", cried Happy, while rubbing his paws over his friend's arm.

"I will only cover the swollen areas from now on, Natsu, you are doing better", said Porlyusica, as she started rubbing a green substance on the swollen area below Natsu's knee. Despite being in the middle of taking notes on the improvement of Natsu's wounds, Lucy couldn't ignore the sight of him biting his lower lip in an attempt to stop any gasps of pain. The next thing Lucy knew, she was standing next to him and clutching his hand as he squeezed hers right back.

When Porlyusica was done, Natsu let a sigh of relief escape his mouth and Lucy took a much needed deep breath, which made him look up in surprise. He had just realized that she was standing next to him and holding his hand. Lucy's blush was starting to gradually cover her neck, when she was put out of her thoughts by Natsu's muffled cry of pain. She held her breath as they both looked to see Porlyusica rub the same green substance over the large swelling around his other knee. By the time Porlyusica had finished her work, she could barely feel the hand that was still in Natsu's grip.

"Oh, your hand!" squealed Lisanna with a finger pointing to Lucy's hand, which looked almost purple in Natsu's grasp. Alarmed, he let go with a yelp of his own.

"Did Natsu do that?" asked Happy in a small voice while inspecting Lucy's hand.

"Sorry Luce, I must have squeezed too hard." mumbled Natsu.

"You are not supposed to strain your tendons, Natsu! Let me see your hands, both of you!", ordered Porlyusica.

"You first, Lucy." Said Natsu with a determined look in his eyes.

"No! You are the one who's injured here! I am fine, really!" declared Lucy with a confidence she wasn't feeling.

"Stop it both of you!", Porlyusica almost yelled before lunging for Lucy's hand. "I have to check his arm anyway. I might as well check yours quickly first." With her lips in a firm line she glanced at Natsu with harsh disappointment in her eyes. "Seriously!"

"Lucy, just put some ice on it. I'll check up on you later." She ended up mumbling while handing Lucy a bag of ice.

"Am really sorry Luce." Whispered Natsu warming Lucy's entire being.

"This is nothing!" she started saying in a whisper. "I am just glad you are no longer hurting. I am happy you used my hand to …" Lucy stopped talking, and blushed furiously. Her insides did a turn over, and she busied herself with adjusting the bag of ice on her hand, ignoring Natsu's heated gaze taking her expression in.

"Your friendship is really something, guys!" sighed Lisanna with an indecipherable expression.

"Aye. Natsu and Lucy are partners!" grinned Happy with a shine in his eyes.

Natsu looked to be on the verge of saying something back when, he groaned. Porlyusica was already busying herself with unwrapping his bandages and treating the swollenness on his hand. Lucy felt too self-conscious this time around to get too close to him. She just slumped back and clenched her fist, but was happy to note that the swollen areas were becoming small, and that Madame Porlyusica didn't communicate any bad news.

"You will be taking it easy. Understand?! I don't want to be seeing you more than I need to!", Porlyusica threatened Natsu when she was done.

"So when will Natsu be all healed up?" intervened Lisanna.

"A month or so"

"NO! I can't wait that much! Wendy must come to help!" he screamed, before slumping back against the pillows with a hiss of pain.

"Yes you will young man! All the dragon slayers aren't allowed to use magic for the next week." Replied Porlyusica.

"I at least want to recover at home, then" pouted Natsu.

"You can go home once you are able to walk Natsu", consoled him Lucy with a hand on his shoulder.

"okay" he breathed. "How's your hand, by the way? Let me see!" Natsu surprised Lucy with his inquiry, making her heart flutter once more.

 _'Natsu is being very soft with me. Not that he never was before, but this is different.'_ Thought Lucy as she quietly handed him her hand and observed his reaction.

He softly put it in the palm of his own hand and looked at it closely before meeting her eyes with a softness that turned her insides to mush once again. _'That caring and tender look in his eyes is sure coming up often, and making me fall for him even more. Could_ _it mean …'_

Lucy didn't get to finish her thought because Madame Porlyusica leaned in and proceeded to ask her to move her fingers and to mimic her movements.

"You'll be fine, Lucy, just keep getting new ice bags frequently till you feel better." recommended Porlyusica.

Lucy was still affected by Natsu's touch that she couldn't start to make sense of what the doctor was telling her. Even concentrating on her instructions had proved to be hard.

"Okay I'll make sure of it", came Natsu's reply, and all that was left for Lucy to do was nod in approval. Her hand was still tingling from where Natsu cupped her hand, and she couldn't help but desire the feel of his flesh on hers once again. She wanted to move closer. She wanted to close her eyes. She wanted to inhale him in. She wanted to keep him in. Forever.

* * *

 _ **I will upload sooner than last time, it's for sure, and yes I can promise a Natsu POV in the future :)**_

 _ **Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing!**_


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